Smartphones are without a doubt one of the most popular and essential technologies on the planet today. In fact, in the USA alone, there are nearly 300 million smartphone users, and this number is only expected to rise. These devices help us stay in touch with friends, keep up with the news, entertain ourselves, educate ourselves, and do several other things.
Another common thing most of us do with our smartphones is taken photos. Not only can smartphones take outstanding photos in the modern-day, but they can also edit them well. With that in mind, this article is going to cover a few tips on how to best edit your photos on your smartphone.
Use the Right Apps
The first step to editing photos well on your smartphone is to use the right apps. There are several available that can help you with everything from adding filters to photos, adjust lighting and colors, add effects and several more. Also, there are also apps like Facetune that are specifically designed to improve how your selfies look.
No matter your editing needs, whether casual or professional, there is an app out there that can help.
Some apps may have a bit of a learning curve, while others will be simple for even a novice user to edit with. Also, many phones have quality native apps or features when it comes to photo editing, but if you want more robust and feature-filled offerings, your best bet is generally a third-party app. The good news is that these apps are generally quite affordable or even free.
Always Start With a Plan or Idea in Mind
Another tip when editing photos on your phone is to always begin with a plan in mind. Before you ever make a change to a photo, have an idea of how you want the end result of the photo to look. You might have a unique idea, or see a photo someone else has posted to social media and decide to use that for inspiration.
Not only will this help ensure your photo ends up looking the way you want, but having a plan and working towards it can make the editing process a lot simpler and quicker. If you simply edit at random, it can take a very long time to get things right.
Also, it is a good idea to test and try out different features or apps to make sure they can reach your desired result. Some apps might be better at certain effects or edits, but you might not know this if you didn’t plan ahead. Editing with your fingers on a phone may also be different than using a mouse and keyboard, so be careful.
Save Each Photo Separately
When making edits, it is crucial not to lose the original. If you ever want to start over, or compare your edits to the original photo, you need to ensure it’s still there. Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of simply saving over the original photo. This is often called destructive editing.
This mistake is an easy one to make, but can have awful consequences of losing a great photo. While you might be able to undo the edits and restore the original, it is simply better to keep a copy of the original safe and untouched. To keep track of things, consider making folders for edits and for originals, so you never lose one. This is especially great if you have dozens or hundreds of photos you are trying to edit and keep track of.
You no longer need a beefy computer and expensive software to edit your photos. We hope that the tips in this article have been able to help you flawlessly edit photos on your smartphone.